Elvis Presley tribute act sues police for right to impersonate ‘the King’
An Elvis Presley tribute act is suing Las Vegas police after a crackdown on rogue perfomers impersonating the King of Rock and Roll.
William Jablonski, a regular busker on the Vegas strip, claims he has been harassed by officers who have repeatedly cited him for obstructing the pavement, disorderly conduct and being a public nuisance.
Mr Jablonski, who signs autographs, poses for tourists and once performed for a televised Elvis tribute at the MGM Grand, is taking police to court to prove that impersonating “The King” is a constitutional right.
The street performer claims that he has been wrongfully hounded by officers.
He stopped performing in public after he was cited for obstructing the pavement in 2007.
A year later, having donned his velvet suit again, he was confronted as he sang in front of the Paris Hotel & Casino by a Las Vegas police officer who told him not to have his picture taken with tourists or accept tips.
His act was stopped again twice within the next fortnight, including on one occasion when Mr Jablonski claims he was approached by a group of no fewer than five officers, who said they saw him accept a dollar.
The Elvis fan has joined forces with a busking guitarist, Suzette Banasik, and the American Civil Liverties Union to fight for their right to perform.
They have filed a suit in the US District Court in Las Vegas against Clark County, along with District Attorney David Roger, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto.
The performers’ are challenging statutes and codes they say “violate free speech” and amount to “unconstitutional restraints on personal speech and expression.”
Spokesmen for both Clark County and the police declined comment.
- By Richard Edwards | Telegraph.co.uk
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3 Aug 09 at 11:56 am
i do think he has the right to do so, especially in vegas. there are so many impersonaters down there, how could the police single out one and give him trouble and not expect hell to pay.